As I’ve already mentioned in my previous blog entry, the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly caucus of the Democratic Party of Japan has resolved to block passage of the current bill. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government still insists the bill should be passed without any changes, even though the Governor Shintaro Ishihara (member of the Liberal Democratic Party) himself admits that there are problems with the wording. In his previous press conference, the Governor insists that the bill is still salvageable and all that is needed is the bill to be amended in the legislative session of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly in June.

For this reason, the DPJ feels the bill should be withdrawn from consideration and has stated that they will defeat the bill if it is presented in its current form.

The DPJ caucus has prepared their own bill, but feels that it would be better to scrap the existing bill because the DPJ bill effectively eliminates major portions of the originally submitted bill and adds clauses regarding addressing treatment and support for real victims of sexually abused practices that are photographed, and thus feels such a revision of the bill might be too expansive and the chances that the LDP and the New Komeito Party that is backing the current draft can be convinced to approve of the DPJ draft is slim.

On another note, the meeting I wrote about in my previous blog got mentioned in the Mainichi news as several of the attendees were high profile politicians of the national level. Member of the House of Councillors, Renho strongly criticized Governor Ishihara for submitting a bill that may have a profound impact on freedom of expression when he himself is noted novelist and author. My participation of the event was noted in this blog.

When I have the time, I’d like to share with you the presentation that I gave at the meeting held by Tokyo Metro. Assembly member Kurishita.

PS: I’m still learning how this wordpress formating of blogs work, so please forgive me if there are aspects that make reading this blog a little difficult.

PPS: Thank you very much for the feedback that people have given. I’d like to start a collection of feedback from overseas to help make it clear in Japan that not everyone overseas feels Japan should ban and censor things. I’ll try to work out a system somehow. Thanks again.